The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia
by Tid55584
Summary: A story that looks into the mysterious past of everyone's favorite princess. This story covers everything from her birth to the most recent of events.
1. Chapter 1

The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia

Once upon a time, in a land that had yet to be named, there was a small town named Canterlot. In this town is where the story begins. In this town, there lay a house, nothing extraordinary, a worn down, gray, wooden house that lay on the outskirts of town. In this house, however, a rare event was about to occur. The miracle of birth was about to happen. This miracle would bring forth two of the land's most revered ponies. This is where the story begins.

The season was winter, but there was no snow on the ground. It had been, for the most part, a dry winter. Snow hardly fell on the land, which was happily accepted by the Earth Ponies. They disliked the snow, as it did not allow them to grow any crops. The Pegasi also were not very fond of the cold, as it would make their wings sore and not function properly if left unchecked. The unicorns, however, relished in it. They bundled up to protect themselves from the elements and would head outside where they played games with it. The Pegasi and Earth ponies knew not how they could enjoy the cold substance so much, but they never really bothered to ask. However, this is getting off track.

The hour was early in the morning, and everypony in the house was asleep. The stallion lay in his bed, lying next to his pregnant wife. They cuddled together, partially for warmth, partially for enjoyment, and lay unmoving as they slept. Then, as quick as a lightning strike, pain struck the mare. Her eyes flew open and she began to scream, startling the stallion half to death. She continued to scream with pain. The stallion quickly used the back of his arm to rub the sleep out of eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked frantically. She stopped screaming, still breathing heavily. She turned her head to look at him. Her face was beaded with sweat; her eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and happiness.

"The babies are coming." She said. The stallion sat there for a moment, dazed and unsure of what was going on. Then, a few seconds later it registered that she had just told him his children were about to be born.

"The babies are coming!" He exclaimed. He leapt out of the bed in such a hurry he tripped over the blanket.

"Damn." He said as he hit the wooden floor. He quickly rose to his hooves and hurried over to the other side of the bed where his wife was currently attempting to get out. He lowered himself so that his chest was almost touching the floor.

"Here, I'll carry you." He said.

"For Pete's sake Harry, I can walk." She said agitatedly. She recoiled at how angry she sounded.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"It's alright. Now, go ahead and climb on." He said. She nodded and gently lowered herself into his back. He had never been a star athlete, but he was able to support his pregnant wife with the pure adrenaline that coursed through his body.

"Come on!" He said and quickly made his way out of the house.

He galloped through the town as quickly as he could, not stopping even to catch his breath. He came to the corner of the coffee shop where they had shared their first date and turned, the hospital wasn't far now. He could hear the clop of his hooves echoing off the walls of the silent street. The town was still fairly new, and the path he galloped on was made entirely of dirt. A few ponies came to their windows to see what was going on, groggily rubbing their eyes with the back of their hooves. They watched as he galloped to the hospital, some even cheering him on. Everypony in the small town loved to see new foals. Eventually the stallion could see the hospital come into view. He galloped as fast as he could so as to get his wife the medical attention she needed as soon as possible.

Finally he burst through the hospital doors, frantically shouting for somepony to see to his wife. A few of the nurse ponies ran out from behind the counter, one going to get a wheel chair for the wife. They helped the mare into the wheel chair and desperately tried to calm the stallion down. They wheeled the mare into the room where their children would be born. The stallion did not follow them, as exhaustion caught up to him. He collapsed into one of the chairs in the waiting room and closed his eyes, immediately falling asleep.

A few hours later the mare was beginning to go into labor. She screamed in agony from the pain she was experiencing. The clock on the wall read 5:30 AM. The sun would be rising soon. The doctor urged the mare to continue pushing. She did as she was told, eager for the pain to stop. A nurse stood just beside her, using magic to wipe the mare's forehead with a rag.

"Alright, Milly, just one more giant push." The doctor said. She gave one more huge push and screamed as she did so. The rays of the sunrise shone through the window just as the sound of crying could be heard from the newborn filly.

"Congratulations on your new filly." The doctor said wrapping up the newborn in a blanket. She knew they weren't done yet, however.

She spent the next fourteen hours with little pain, but the pain intensified at around 7:45 PM. The sun was setting and as it did so the pain intensified. The stallion had awoken from his nap and was now pacing around the room nervously. As the mare began to scream he rushed over to his wife and held her hoof in his. He urged her to breathe when she wasn't pushing. The mare took deep breaths as she was instructed and found it to be quite helpful. She continued to push, trying to get this second child out of her body.

Finally she was urged to give one more big push and she did so. The final rays of the sun vanished from view as the filly was born. This filly was smaller than her sister. The filly cried as the doctor wrapped her up in cloth and handed her to the nurse to take to the nursery. The mare breathed a sigh of relief, grateful it was over.

A few hours later, after the mare was cleaned up and everyone had finally calmed down, the mare and her husband walked into the nursery to see their two newborn children in greater detail. They stood behind the glass and searched for their children.

Finally the stallion spotted them and pointed in their direction, the mare following his gaze until her eyes fell upon the two wonderful bundles of joy. The eldest of the two was white. She had a horn atop of her head, like her mothers. She also had the beginnings of a beautiful mane. She smiled as she slept contently. The mare smiled at her. They turned their attention to their second child. This filly's skin was black as the night. She also had a horn on her head and the beginnings of a beautiful mane as well. "What are we going to name them?" The stallion asked. The mare pondered this. What would their names be?

"How about Lucy and Wendy?" The stallion offered. She shook her head. She wanted their names to be unique, to mean something.

"I think I know what to name them." She said. He looked at her expectantly.

"How about Celestia and Luna?" She asked him. He considered these names. He had to admit, these names were far better than the ones he had picked. He looked back at the fillies and smiled.

"Yes. Those are wonderful names." He said.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a silent morning in the town of Canterlot. The mare was lying in the bed she had been assigned to rest in. Her hospital gown covered her body down to her the knees of her hind legs, which she found comfortable. She was currently sleeping; resting from her experience that had taken place just yesterday. She had given birth to two wonderful fillies, which were currently sleeping silently in the nursery. The father was sitting in a chair next to her, also sleeping. The current time was 6:34 AM. The father was snoring quite loudly, but it didn't bother the mare. She had been able to sleep through his snoring for years now.

He was awoken suddenly by the sound of the door opening. The nurse giggled at this. She had skin as white as the snow that fell upon the land every winter. Her mane was short and well kept. It was also a wonderful blue that was the color of the ocean. She wore a nurse's outfit and her cutie mark was in the shape of a blue plus. She walked in and closed the door behind her. The stallion sat up and leaned forward in the chair.

"How are they?" He asked nervously.

"They're doing quite well. The doctor estimates you'll be able to take them home in just a few hours." She replied with a smile. He breathed a sigh of relief. The nurse walked over to the mare's bedside table and set down a tray of food the stallion hadn't noticed before.

"She'll need this when she wakes up. Please make sure she gets it." She said. He nodded and watched as the nurse left the room, closing the door behind her.

The stallion sat in his chair for hours, waiting silently for his wife to awaken. He stared about the room, taking in every detail in an attempt to keep himself occupied. He noticed the tile flooring was patterned: green, red, then blue, and repeat. The walls were white as snow, which was typical of a hospital room. They were decorated with abstract paintings that he couldn't make head or tail of. A lone window framed by curtains was set on the opposite side of the room, providing a view of the cold, barren countryside. A shelf was placed against one wall above a metallic sink and contained what appeared to be magazines about swim-suit models. The stallion wasn't fond of that sort of thing, as he had respect for his wife and mares in general.

After a few hours the mare finally awoke with a yawn, stretching her limbs.

"Good afternoon, Milly." He said. She looked at him and smiled warmly.

"Good afternoon, Harry. How are the children?" She asked.

"The nurse told me they're doing just fine. The doctor says we'll be able to take them home today." He replied recalling what the nurse had told him. She said nothing but she smiled even more. She was greatly looking forward to it.

"Oh, the nurse told me to make sure you eat. There's a tray of food next to your bed." The stallion said. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the bowl of now soggy oatmeal, accompanied by a sandwich in case she had slept in; which she had. There was also a glass of water, which the mare quickly gulped down. She also set to work on the sandwich; taking large bites and hardly allowing herself time to swallow before taking another bite. When she had finished she sat quietly on her bed, staring at her hind hooves. The stallion wanted to say something, and opened his mouth to do so, but lacking the words, he simply shut it again without uttering even a single noise.

A few moments later the doctor walked in, happy to see the mare awake.

"Ah, you're awake. I trust your husband told you everything?" He asked giving a warm smile as he clicked his pen.

"Yes, he did." She replied looking at him with a look that resembled a child unsure of what to do next. He smiled.

"Great, that makes my job a lot easier. Well, you'll be able to take your children home today; all I need you to do is sign this release form and we can have your children in your arms and ready to go." The doctor said levitating his clipboard and pen over to the mare. She used her magic to take the pen and signed on the dotted line.

"Thank you. And we'll need your signature as well Mr. Harry." He said levitating it over to the stallion.

"Right," He said taking the pen with his magic. He signed on the dotted line and handed the clipboard back to the doctor.

"Thank you very much. I'll have the nurse bring your children to you immediately." He said turning to exit the room. "Oh, I almost forgot, have you decided what to name them yet?" He asked abruptly turning around. "Yes, their names shall be Luna and Celestia." The mare replied happily, all signs of her previous expression had vanished. "Luna and Celestia. What wonderful names." He said giving her a warm smile and turning back to leave. He exited the room and left the couple alone.

The couple sat in silence, neither of them saying anything or even looking at each other. They simply stared at the floor, their minds a complete blank. They should've been ecstatic, but something in their minds was off, something they weren't aware of. Finally their zombie-like daze was broken when the nurse came in, carrying two bundles of joy with her. She handed one to the mother and the other to the father. When the stallion looked down upon the filly he held in his arms, a smile couldn't help but creep onto his face. The filly he was holding was named Celestia, a beautiful white filly with a gorgeous multi-colored mane. The filly was sleeping soundly, warmly wrapped in a soft pink cloth. She had a smile upon her face that seemed to brighten the whole room.

"Well, you're all set to take your children home. I hope you have a wonderful time with them!" The nurse said with a cheery smile. She gave the fillies one last look before turning and walking out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

Harry tore his eyes away from the newborn filly and looked toward his wife, whom was still wrapped in her blanket and hospital gown, holding the filly Luna in her arms. "Shall we be heading home, dear?" He asked her. She looked at him with a smile upon her face.

"Yes, let's go home." She said. Harry helped her out of her hospital gown and they both walked out of the room, holding the fillies in front of them using the gentlest of magic. They walked through the pale white halls, doors adjacent to one another lining either side of the hall. The hospital wasn't busy very often, but today it seemed as if everypony in town were there. The nurses were trying to keep the bustling ponies calm as they craned their necks to try and get a look at the new fillies. As the couple appeared from around the corner, the crowd in the lobby began cheering. The couple smiled broadly, showing their happiness and pride in their precious children.

"Come on; let us get a look at them!" One of the ponies said to the nurses.

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't let that happen." The nurse replied. The couple stopped behind the barricade of nurses, wondering how they were going to get out of the hospital. Then one nurse who wasn't a part of the barricade motioned for them to follow her down a side passage that led out of the hospital. They quickly trotted over to the nurse, following her down the dimly lit hallway.

"I do apologize for the crowd, and this unsettling hallway. This is something we nurses experience every time a child is brought into this world. The ponies are just so excited to see the new fillies or colts." The nurse said as she led them down the damp, dim hallway. The lights flickered above, adding to the ominous feeling the couple had.

"It's fine; we're just glad we finally get to live with our children." Milly said looking at Harry for confirmation. He nodded and they continued to follow the nurse down the hall. The nurse stopped just before a corner.

"The exit is just down this hall. I wish you two happiness!" The nurse said smiling cheerily. The couple thanked the nurse and galloped down the hall, the metal door that led to the outside world quickly approaching. Harry slowed down, opening the door and letting his wife through first. As they emerged from the hospital they were met with an overwhelming burst of cold air that made them both shiver. The fillies were both wrapped warmly in their blankets, sleeping soundly despite all that had happened. They were in the front of the hospital, emerging out of an entrance that blended perfectly with the wall. They could hear the crowd still shouting and trying to get past the nurses. Harry turned to his wife. "Come on, let's go home while we can." He said. She nodded and they galloped all the way home, never once stopping.

When the couple returned home and were in their warm home, they carried the still sleeping fillies up to the room that had been prepared for them. They walked into the room, painted a baby blue and dotted with clouds on the walls. The ceiling was painted to resemble the night sky, a black background with hundreds of tiny white dots decorating the surface. There were two cribs, one was slightly bigger than the other; the bigger of which they placed Celestia, and Luna into the smaller. Harry and Milly looked upon their sleeping children with happy expressions. After a short while, they both went to their bedroom, too exhausted to stay up any longer.

(Six months later...)

It had been a wonderful six months. Harry and Milly were able to spend a lot of time with their newborn children, playing games with them and having a good time. Not long after they had brought the sisters home did they notice the fillies also had wings. When they had found out they were astonished. Only one pony in the entire world had both wings and a horn, and that was the Queen who raised both the sun and the moon; though no one had ever seen her and most thought of her as just a myth. They both had shown signs of magical development well beyond any young unicorns they had heard of, able to lift an entire couch (albeit unknowingly). The girls had little control over their powers when they were upset or when they experienced any emotion, really. When Celestia laughed, the room seemed to get brighter and warmer. When either off them cried (which they did frequently), it would get noticeably colder in whichever room they were in. Once, when both Celestia and Luna were sad and crying, the sun outside had been blocked out with storm clouds, though none of the Pegasi had planned it. Other than that, life had been excellent. One day, however, it would all change forever.

It was a warm summer's night, like any other. It was silent throughout the small town of Canterlot, the night covering the town in a blanket of darkness. Little did anyone know, something big was about to happen. Harry awoke to the sound of a crash downstairs, sitting bolt upright and looking around, unable to see anything. He quickly realized the room was full of smoke. He ducked low and quickly shook his wife, alerting her to the situation.

When she awoke her eyes widened at the sight of smoke. She sat up and began to cough as she became enveloped in the black cloud. They climbed out of bed and immediately ran toward the children's room, coughing wildly. The fire had started somewhere downstairs and had quickly spread to the rest of the house, causing the dry wooden house to weaken. Their room was up in flames, burning pieces of wood falling from the ceiling and embers flying everywhere. They entered the room with the children and found them both alright. The smoke had yet to fill the room and the flames had yet to spread here. They ran over and quickly scooped the children up using their magic, running immediately out of the room and toward the staircase.

Their progress was halted when they saw the bottom of the staircase completely engulfed. The air downstairs was filled with smoke and fires were burning everything in sight. A cabinet had fallen over, which Harry determined to be e crash that woke him up. Milly gave Luna to Harry, looking at him.

"You have to escape. I'll keep the fire back, but you have to leave." She said.

"But what about you?" He asked.

"Don't worry about me, just go!" She said. She used her magic to lessen the flames at the bottom of the stairs- enough so to let Harry jump over them. Harry gave his wife one last look before galloping down the stairs and leaping over the flames. As soon as he landed the floor beneath his wife collapsed, weakened severely by the fire.

"Milly!" He shouted holding out his hoof. His eyes were wide with shock and sadness. He heard something crack and his mind turned off. He turned and galloped for the door dodging the fire as he did so. As he went, he heard another cracking sound and glanced up in time to see a large section of the ceiling give way above him. He used his magic to take the children and hold them far out in front of him. He was almost through the door when the ceiling fell on top of him, forcing him to the ground and his children dropped to the soft grass outside. He screamed in pain, not needing to look back to know his hind legs had been crushed. He looked at his children, who had awoken and were now staring at him with blank expressions. He stared at them, his eyes filling up with tears.

"I'm sorry." He told them. He knew he was going to die there. There was no one around who'd be able to save him. They were going to be alone, left without their parents.

"Luna, Celestia, listen to me. Both your mother and I love you with all of our hearts. I'm sorry we have to leave like this. Please, understand we don't want you to be alone; it wasn't our choice to leave you like this. I truly wish I could live to see you grow up, but I don't think I'll be able to. I'm so sorry." Tears began to fall to the wooden floor.

"I'm sure you two will make fine mares one day, and even though I won't be there with you, just remember your mother and I will be watching over you. We love you, and we always will." He said. He gave them a weak smile as his strength began to fade. He collapsed to the ground, barely able to keep his eyes open.

As he watched, his children began to cry. He felt bad for them, he really did. All of a sudden there was a shadow and a figure flew in front of the moon. There was a bright light, one brighter than the sun. He watched as a mare descended and landed by his children. Their crying stopped at once, and instead they looked at the mare with a look of wonder and amazement. The mare looked at the children for a while before turning to him. She didn't say anything, but instead she watched him.

_Do not worry, young stallion. Your children will be protected from all that wish to harm them. They will be the Princesses of Equestria._ Harry heard a voice say. He realized she was speaking telepathically.

_Equestria?_ He thought in confusion. He had never heard of that place. He knew not of Equestria, but he did realize something. The mare that now stood before him was the Queen. The mare said nothing more and instead raised the children onto her back, stretching her beautiful wings. Harry could no longer keep his eyes open, and they drifted shut as he fell into the darkness of death.


	3. Chapter 3

The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia- Chapter 3

The Queen brought Princess Celestia and her younger sister to an orphanage that sat close to the hospital for medical reasons. The two fillies slept on her back, as if nothing had happened that night. She landed on the cold ground and walked toward the door. She used her magic to gently set the two fillies on the doorstep. She stared at them for a short while before conjuring a warm blanket for each of them and wrapping them gently in it.

When she was satisfied with their comfort, she produced a scroll explaining what had happened and placed it between the two fillies. She then knocked on the door gently, producing a sound quiet enough not to awaken the sleeping fillies, but loud enough to be heard from inside. She took a few steps back and spread her long wings, preparing to take flight. She stared at them for a short while before ascending into the air without a sound. This would be the last time they would see her for the next twenty years; but it would not be the last she would see of them.

The mare in charge of running the orphanage was fast asleep when the knock on the door came. She opened her eyes gradually and sat up, wondering who it could be that was knocking at such a late hour. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes using the back of her hoof and climbed out of her bed, making her way around the sleeping bodies of the foals that had nightmares that night and wanted to sleep in her room. She opened the creaky door as slowly as she could so as to reduce the noise produced by the rickety wooden hinges and stepped into the hallway.

She made her way down the equally creaky and rickety wooden steps that led from the second floor to the first and over to the door. She opened it and looked around, at first finding nothing and almost thinking it a prank played by some crude teenagers. She nearly shut the door before she looked down and stopped immediately. As she stared down she saw the two sleeping fillies on her doorstep, a scroll with an elegant red ribbon tying it shut resting between them. She stooped down and used her wings to pick up the fillies and held them while she grabbed the scroll in her mouth and carried them inside, shutting the door behind her.

She walked up the stairs and found a vacant room that held a crib and placed them in it before setting the scroll down on a table that sat in the corner of the room. She used her hoof to hold the scroll in place while she used her teeth to pull the ribbon off. She let the scroll unfurl before her and began reading the graceful hoofwriting:

"_Dear Julianne,_

_I have brought these two fillies to you tonight because of a tragic incident that killed both of their parents in a house fire near the outskirts of the town earlier tonight. These two fillies have my personal blessing, and they will one day rise up to found a new nation: Equestria. Please see to it that these two are well taken care of in the meantime. I will return to help them proceed in their paths in twenty years' time._

_Sincerely,_

_The Queen_"

Julianne read and reread the script until it was almost burned into her memory in disbelief. Her eyes were wide with astonishment at first, but then they gradually returned to their previous state. This was probably a prank that was being played on her. The Queen was only a myth; told to explain the times before recorded history. Still, who could've played such an elaborate prank on her? Her mind was filled with wonder and partial excitement. She glanced over at the two fillies that slept silently in the crib. Then she got an idea. She headed to the supply closet that stood at the end of the hallway on the second floor and grabbed a flashlight in her mouth and shut the door again. She crept as silently as she could down the hallway, past her room that contained the many sleeping foals, and down the stairs. She decided not to be gone long, as she would have a long day ahead of her in the morning. She opened the front door, which was dramatically less creaky, and stepped through, latching the door shut behind her before setting out toward the outskirts.

She followed one street that cut right through Canterlot and turned a corner. She squinted in the night as it was difficult for her to see without her glasses in the darkness. I should've grabbed my glasses. She thought; thinking herself a fool. Then she remembered she had neglected to turn the flashlight on. She flipped the switch on the flashlight with her tongue and the shimmering beam of light burst to life. She shined the light around and could see the buildings and streets clearly now.

She was already almost to the outskirts by this point. She walked on, her mind wandering to the two fillies that slept in the crib and the mysterious letter she had received. What if the letter was real? It would be an incredible thing, and she would be glad to take on the two fillies and see that they were properly taken care of. There was also the possibility of this whole thing being a hoax, and she would have to return the two fillies to the almost certainly unaware parents.

As she reached the outskirts of the town she had to walk a little ways before turning a corner to the alleged burnt house. She shined the beam of light around and found nothing at first. Then the beam of light fell on something that made her drop the flashlight in shock. Before her stood a still-smoldering wooden house, pillars of black smoke rising into the night sky. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and horror. She stood there, paralyzed by the sight. Her heart sank deep into her stomach. As she stood there her eyes began to fill with tears. It brought back horrible memories of her foalhood, and her heart ached for the two fillies that slept in the crib. She sank to her knees and tears fell from her eyes, streaming down her face and dripping onto the cold, dry ground. Her eyes seemed to fill with the reflection of the remains of the house. It had, at one point, been a two story house; but the top floor had collapsed from the weakened support and added to the fire that had ravaged the first floor. All that stood was the porch, the bottom half of the four walls and the four supporting beams that connected them. The rest was smoldering ash.

Her eyes drifted to a body that lay half-buried in the debris. His expression resembled one of anguish, either from the physical pain, or the emotional. As she looked upon him the sky cracked with thunder and it began to rain, wetting the mare's mane and bringing it down to her sides. The cold rain mingled with her tears as she sat there, staring at the loving father that had fought to keep his foals alive. It was always a terrible sight to see new foals arrive at the orphanage, but this took the cake.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof and stood, grabbing the flashlight in her mouth and taking flight. She had been warned never to fly in a thunderstorm, but this was going to be one exception. She flew back to the orphanage and landed on the steps. She unlatched the door and entered, flicking the flashlight off as she stepped through the doorway. She walked through the kitchen, dripping water onto the wooden floor and leaving wet hoof prints as she went. She made her way to the bathroom and grabbed a clean towel with which to dry herself off with.

When she was dry she tossed the towel into the hamper for dirty towels and proceeded to walk up the stairs to the second floor. She walked down the dark hallway and entered the room where she had left the two fillies. She walked over to the crib and peered over the edge, staring silently at the two fillies that slept so comfortably despite the events of that night. She sighed and managed to pull out a smile. Then she glanced over at the desk and saw the letter still unfurled on the surface.

"Could it be?" She whispered. She looked back down at the fillies with awe.

"I promise I'll do whatever it takes to protect you two." She whispered to them. With that she walked back into her room and closed the door, climbing into her soft, warm bed and falling asleep nearly instantly.


	4. Chapter 4

The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia- Chapter 4

We will now skip forward to a point in time when Celestia and Luna are two years of age.

Julianne awoke early that morning to the sounds of fillies snoring. She had to stifle her chuckle so as not to wake them. She always found foals' snoring funny for some reason. She removed her hoof from her mouth and sat up silently. She stretched her hooves over her head and unfurled her wings before wiping the sleep from her eyes. Then she climbed out of bed and once more over the sleeping foals who had slept in her room that night. She then made her way out of her room and stepped into the hallway. She turned to her right and continued down the steps and turned left when she had reached the foot of the stairs. She walked passed the window, but stopped and reversed her course when she noticed there was somepony outside. She walked up to the window and looked outside, seeing the filly that sat on the porch steps and staring at the sky. Julianne walked over to the door that led outside, which stood to her right, and opened it by taking the doorknob in her teeth and pulling it open. The filly didn't even turn around to look at her; in fact, she made no movements whatsoever.

"Celestia?" Julianne asked. It was only then that the filly seemed to notice Julianne's presence. Her ears perked up and she turned her head to look over her right shoulder at Julianne.

"Hi, Julie." Celestia said to her. Her voice was adorable and it warmed Julianne's heart to hear it.

"What are you doing out here?" Julianne asked her.

"I was watching the sun rise," Celestia replied simply. It was her favorite activity, and each morning she snuck out of the house to watch it. Julianne had never caught her, as she always went back inside before Julianne woke up.

"How are you up this early?" Julianne asked in confusion. Celestia turned to face her and smiled warmly. Her mane and tail blew in the breeze, and she seemed to almost glow.

"I don't know, I just feel like I need to get up and watch the sun." She replied. Julianne stared at her. This was very strange behavior, very strange behavior indeed. Celestia continued to smile warmly at her. "Is everything okay Miss Julie?" She asked.

"Yes, everything's fine. Why don't you come inside and help me prepare breakfast?" Julianne replied.

"Okay!" Celestia said and jumped to her hooves, eagerly following Julianne into the house.

Later that day, noon had come and the foals were enjoying their day in the sunshine. Julianne watched as the fillies laughed and played together. Celestia was one of the most popular of the foals, having many friends that liked to play with her. Luna, on the other hand, had only a handful of friends, but they were close to her and loyal. Celestia spread her wings and soared into the air, gliding only about ten feet from the ground, but still impressing everypony who watched her. Luna looked up at Celestia and smiled at her, happy for her sister. She too spread her wings and soared into the air, joining her sister in a fantastic aerial display. It was no wonder the other foals liked them so much, they were always the life of the party. Julianne had noticed that these fillies weren't like the others in the sense that they have both wings and a horn, whereas the others had only one or the other, or neither. Could this be the blessing that the Queen had written about? No, they had those wings and horns since birth, there was something else, something that hadn't been revealed yet.

"Hoi! Julianne! Why don't you join us?" Celestia called out to her. Julianne was shaken from her daze and looked up to the fillies who hovered next to one another. She smiled.

"Sorry, not today." Julianne declined.

"Oh come on, it's our birthdays today!" Celestia said as she began to fly around again. This caught Julianne by surprise.

"Who's birthdays did you say it was?" She asked, trying to make sure she had heard the filly right.

"Mine and Luna's!" She replied with glee.

"I'm sorry, but how do you know that?" Julianne asked. Celestia shrugged.

"I dunno, I just feel like it is, you know what I mean?" She replied. Julianne sat in silence for a second, watching the filly fly around the sky, but not really observing what was going on. Her mind had shut off, for she was thinking about the mysteries of these two fillies. There was something different about them, not just in their anatomy, but rather, something in their personalities as well. There was a certain air of mystery that floated about them, one that Julianne wished more than once she could dispell with answers. She had tried talking to them about their past, but they never remembered anything past the orphanage. They came to her sometimes in the middle of the night, crying because they had seen two figures in their dreams. Julianne had wondered more than once if these figures they spoke of were their parents, but she dismissed the idea every time. Now, Celestia was telling her that it was their birthday, and yet, how could she possibly know that? She hadn't said a thing about it before, though she was very capable of speech by the point of her first birthday. Julianne resolved right then and there to figure out the mysteries behind these girls.

Finally, Julianne shrugged and spread her wings, joining them in the air. She felt the wind pass between her feathers, a feeling she enjoyed very much. She hovered next to Luna and they both nodded at one another, then soaring about after her sister. Celestia noticed she was being followed and let out a giggle before starting to soar about in seemingly random patterns. It was obvious that Celestia expected them to follow her, and that they did. Julianne and Luna flew in perfect synchronism with one another, mimicking Celestia's aerial movements with such accuracy, you would think they had practiced it a thousand times before. The foals on the ground looked on and laughed and cheered, enjoying the show. Celestia flew about this way and that, enjoying herself and giggling all the while. Julianne and Luna followed her, having just as much fun and giggling just as much.

After a few hours, the endurance of both Luna and Celestia ran out and they were forced to land, still giggling. They were panting, but they managed to force out their giggles in between breaths. Julianne also landed, not nearly as exhausted as the other two, but still exhausted nonetheless. The foals cheered and stomped their hooves on the ground in applause. Celestia and Luna took a bow, and Julianne did likewise. When the applause died down, Julianne kindly asked them all to head inside for lunch. The foals gladly went inside, but Julianne called for Luna and Celestia to hang back for a second or two. Luna and Celestia gladly stayed with Julianne, avoiding the mass herd of foals storming into the house.

"What is it Miss Julie?" Celestia asked in that adorable voice of hers. Julianne first looked around to make sure that is was just the three of them. When she had made sure that they were the only ones, she turned back to the girls.

"I'd like to show you two something very important tonight, if you're willing." She said.

"Really? What is it?" Celestia and Luna asked simultaneously.

"You'll see. Just be waiting for me outside of your room at eight o' clock, okay?"

"Okay!" They both said again. Julianne smiled and ushered them both back into the house.

Later that night, Luna and Celestia were in their pajama's (as ponies don't walk around naked, like a certain show would lead viewers to believe) and waiting anxiously for Julianne to meet them outside of their room. Celestia bounced up and down eagerly as they waited outside of their room. The hallway was dark and everypony else was sleeping.

"What time is it, Luna?" Celestia asked.

"It's 7:53." Luna responded, knowing exactly what time it was no matter where she was; though this only happened at night. During the day, she had no clue what time it was. Celestia didn't have this power, neither during the day nor at night. With that said, Celestia also had a power that Luna did not possess. This was, of course, the ability to know exactly what the date was. She would always be able to say what day it was in year without even thinking about it.

"Good evening, girls." The voice of Julianne said amidst the darkness of the hallway. A single window let moonlight into the hallway, and that light had yet to reach Julianne's body. Luna and Celestia watched eagerly as their caretaker stepped into the moonlight. The two fillies were astonished at how wonderful their caretaker looked in the moonlight. Her skin was caramel in color, and her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. Her mane was silvery and the moonlight reflected lustrously off of the long hairs that hung down beautifully toward the ground. She wore an excellent white dress that became slightly translucent toward the flank and her half-moon bifocals that shone in the moonlight.

"So what's the surprise?" Celestia asked eagerly. Julianne chuckled.

"You'll find out. Follow me," Julianne replied. The fillies nodded and followed her down the hallway, past her room (which was vacant for the night), and down the stairs. When they had reached the door, Julianne looked behind her at the two fillies. They stared up at her with sparkling eyes and she questioned whether or not this was a good idea. She heaved a sigh and pulled open the door, stepping through and waiting for the two girls to follow her outside before shutting it again. She took the lead once more and lead them off of the porch and toward the path that led into the heart of town.

The night air was chilly and seemed to cling to Julianne's skin through her thin dress. She glanced over her shoulder at Celestia and Luna and saw that they didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all. Maybe it was just Julianne's nerves that were getting to her. She looked forward again, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and shakily, a white fog appearing before her as she did so. They walked through the dark night and finally reached the heart of Canterlot. Buildings with dark windows stood on either side of them, seeming to impose a sense of eeriness. They turned a corner and a street lamp lit up, the sudden burst of light causing them to jump. They all looked at each other and laughed, the mood growing more comfortable. Julianne turned back around and continued to lead them to the outskirts of Canterlot. _  
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_I hope I'm not making a huge mistake,_ She thought to herself in worry. They emerged from the heart of Canterlot and walked down a dirt path that lead to what she was about to show them. Julianne could see the dark remains of the house from where she was, and wondered if the girls were seeing it as well. Eventually, when they were less than a hundred yards from the house, she stopped and turned around to face the girls.

"Celestia, Luna. The building behind me is what I wanted to show you. I think you're both ready to see it." She said. The two fillies eagerly tried to sneak a peak at whatever it was that they were being showed. With a nervous sigh, Julianne stepped aside and the two fillies ran forward a few paces to look at the building.

Celestia was excited to finally see what Julie was trying to show her. As Julie stepped aside she and her sister ran forward a few feet and tried to see the building in the darkness. Celestia's eyes fell upon a building that looked like it had been a house. She saw that some portions of the wood were darker than others, though she still couldn't make out much of it. Then, her eyes widened and her pupils dialated and she sank to her knees as if she were in some sort of trance. Julie and Luna both looked at her, but she didn't move. She began to tremble, softly at first, then increasingly more violent as time went on. Her breathing became frantic and sweat poured from her pores. The world before her eyes transformed from a cold, peaceful night to a blazing fire. She saw smoke rising into the air in pillars from the house that now looked like a full house. The windows had shattered and flames poured from the empty squares. She could hear voices, a mare's and a stallion's, both frightened, both loud and clear in her ears.

"Milly!" She heard the stallion shout.

_Milly..._ Celestia thought. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Then, she saw a stallion running toward the door, a section of the roof collapsing on top of him and crushing the lower half of his body. She saw two fillies drop to the cool grass just twenty yards from the house. She heard the whole speech that the stallion gave, and began to cry.

"D-daddy..." She cried. Then she realized who Milly was and began to cry even harder.

"M-mommy!" She cried. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene. Tears flowed from her eyes in a constant stream that never stopped. The world became darker and the night air stung her skin. She kept repeating the same two words: mommy... daddy... It was all she could do. She continued to cry as hard as she could, her nose starting to run as well. She sniffled and let out a scream. It was a heartbreaking scream, the one of a heartbroken filly discovering for the first time ever that her parents were dead. Then, the scene suddenly stopped. Her vision snapped back to the cold, dark night. The flames were gone. So was her father's body, and half of the building. Celestia still wasn't able to move. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks and her breath came in ragged bursts. It was a few minutes before she could feel Julie shaking her. She slowly turned her head to look up into Julie's eyes. Julie's face was awash with concern.

"J-Julie..." Celestia said. Julie pulled her close and stroked her mane.

"Shh, it's alright Celestia," Julie said to her.

"M-mommy... D-daddy..." Celestia said with her face turned to one side and pressed against Julie's chest.

"Shh," Julie urged her as she continued to stroke Celestia's mane. Luna stood behind them, confused as to what was going on.

When Julianne stepped aside and the two fillies ran forward to observe the house, she heard a sharp intake of breath from one of them. She turned around quickly and found Celestia on her knees, shaking uncontrollably. She quickly ran over to her, looking into her eyes and calling her name. Celestia didn't respond. She didn't even look away from the house. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in a constant stream. Her breathing was ragged and rapid. She kept repeating the same two words over and over again; and these two words seemed to worry both Julianne and Luna the most.

"What's happening to her, Julie?" Luna asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Julianne replied. Then, Celestia let out a scream that made Julianne's mane stand on end. Celestia continued this behaviour for several more minutes before she finally looked up at Julliane, who was shaking her. Julianne pulled Celestia into her chest and stroked her mane, trying to calm the still trembling filly down. Luna walked up beside Julliane and looked first at her sister, then up at Julliane.

"Julie, is she gonna be okay?" Luna asked. Julianne nodded, though she wasn't so sure herself. After a few seconds, Celestia began to tremble less and less, and her breathing began to come more smoothly.

"What happened to her?" Luna asked. Julianne took her eyes off of Celestia for a moment and looked at Luna, who was deeply concerned for her sister.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Julianne replied. Luna stared into Julianne's eyes for a few seconds, but she seemed to understand and nodded. Julianne helped Celestia to her hooves and wiped the tears from the filly's eyes with her feathers.

"It'll be alright, Celestia. Come on, let's get you two in bed." She said. Celestia nodded, still staring at the ground and sniffling. The three of them spread their wings nearly simultaneously and took flight.

They flew through the night air, the cold wind blowing through their feathers. The cold wind also stung Celestia's eyes as they flew, but it gradually became less and less painful. Julianne kept to herself the entire trip home. She cursed herself for having put Celestia through that, but something else caught her attention. Why hadn't Luna had the same reaction? They had both seen the house, she was sure, but what made Celestia burst into tears and instantly cry out for her mommy and daddy? Did she something that Luna hadn't? These questions filled her mind so entirely that she nearly forgot to land in front of the orphanage. She descended and Celestia and Luna followed behind her. They all three landed and Julianne walked up the three stairs to the porch and held the door open for Luna and Celestia, letting them walk through before she entered behind them and shut the door.

She led them up the stairs and toward their room; well, _leading_ them wasn't the term she would've used. She followed them up the stairs and to their room, where she opened the door for them and let them inside. She stood in the doorway as she watched them climb into their beds, pulling the covers over themselves using their magic.

"Good night Celestia. Good night Luna." She said to both of them in turn.

"Good night Miss Julie," They said at the same time. She blew them both kisses before turning and shutting the door behind her. When the door was closed, she leaned against it and heaved a heavy sigh, sliding down the door and sobbing. How could she have done that to Celestia? What was she thinking? She cursed herself repeatedly in her mind. She was supposed to be taking care of them, yet she had led them to their parents' burned down house. After a few minutes she managed to calm herself down. She shook her head and used the back of her hoof to wipe the tears from her eyes. She took a few more deep breaths before standing up and walking back to her room. She opened the door and climbed into her warm bed, covering herself with the warm blanket before falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia Chapter 5

The next morning, Julianne awoke early. She climbed out of bed, wrapped herself in her favorite robe, and opened the door to leave her room. When she did so, the familiar creaking of the rickety wooden door sounded and she almost swore when she heard it. Regardless, she managed to get the door open without waking any of the foals in the building and she stepped out into the hallway. She walked down the hall and gently pushed open the door to Celestia and Luna's room. When she peeked her head in, she discovered that Celestia was gone. This didn't alarm her, however, as she now knew that Celestia was fond of getting up early in the morning and watching the sun rise. She looked out of their window and saw that the sun was in fact beginning to rise. She slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. Then, she turned and walked down the hall and made her way down the stairs. She walked past the front door and glanced out of the window, hoping to find Celestia sitting on the porch. Luckily, Celestia was sitting where she always was.

Julianne opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Celestia didn't turn to see who it was, nor did she make any movements whatsoever. The only part of her body that moved was her shoulders; which rose and fell in accordance to her breathing. Julianne walked over to Celestia and sat beside her on the steps. She turned her head and looked at Celestia, her eyes soft and regretful. She still felt terrible for having putting Celestia through that experience yesterday. She opened her mouth to say something to Celestia, but Celestia silenced her by placing her right hoof on Julianne's left hoof.

"It's okay, Miss Julie." Celestia said without looking at her.

"Are you alright, Celestia?" Julianne asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. She was still staring at where the sun usually rose in the morning. Julianne wanted to say something more, but she didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Miss Juile," Celestia said after a short while.

"Yes, Celestia?"

"Where do you think the sun goes when it sets?" She asked. Celestia still didn't turn to look at Julianne.

"I don't know, Celestia." Julianne replied. Celestia smiled.

"I think the sun goes to bed every night. Then, when the sun goes to bed, the moon looks over everypony in the world. That way, there's always someone watching you, to make sure nothing bad happens." She said. Julianne looked at her with astonishment. Celestia's innocence was truly something to be admired. Julianne cleared her throat.

"Celestia, I'm sorry about yesterday," She apologized.

"Miss Julie, I already said it's okay. Actually, I should say thank you." Celestia replied.

"Er, thank you? What for?" Julianne asked; terribly confused.

"If you didn't take Luna and I to see our parents yesterday, I wouldn't know where my parents went. I just thought they couldn't take care of me and Luna, so they gave us to somepony who could. But now, I know what happened. But, I still have a question," Celestia said.

"And what's that?"

"Where did mommy and daddy go? Did they meet The Light?" Celestia asked.

"The Light? What do you mean?" Julianne asked in confusion.

"You know, The Light. When mommy and daddy died, there was a warm Light that came. Did The Light take them?" Celestia replied. Celestia was now looking at Julianne, whom was growing more and more confused by the second. Julianne, of course, didn't show this on her face. After a few moments, she smiled and placed a hoof on the little filly's head.

"I think so. Don't worry, I'm sure your parents are watching you right now." She said with a smile.

"Maybe Daddy's the sun and Mommy's the moon," Celestia said without warning. Julianne's smile faded and she stared at Celestia with astonished eyes. Celestia was looking back at the sun, this time with a big smile on her face. Without warning, Julianne pulled Celestia into a big hug and burst into tears.

"Oh Celestia, that's a wonderful thing to think about! I'm sure you're absolutely right!" She cried. Celestia was quite taken aback by this sudden burst of emotion from Julianne.

"Are you okay, Miss Julie?" She asked in worry. Julianne held Celestia at arms length and smiled.

"Yes, I'm just fine," She replied. She used her left arm to wipe the tears from her eyes and continued to smile at Celestia.

"Maybe we should go inside," Celestia offered. Julianne nodded and they both stood. Julianne led the way and opened the door for Celestia. Celestia walked inside and Julianne followed, closing the door behind them.

Later on in the day, when the foals were in school, Julianne was bustling about the house, trying to clean for when the foals would return. She held a feather-duster in her right wing, a wet rag in her teeth, and a broom in her left wing. To clean the high-up places, shelves, cabinets, etcetera, she used her wings to fly a short distance into the air; replacing the rag in her mouth with the feather-duster. She then wiped down the tables, counters, sinks, and everything else she could with the wet rag. She carried around a bucket of warm-soapy water with her as she did this, repeatedly dipping the rag into the bucket as she went. She would have to wipe off her tongue on her feathers every so often, having accidentally gotten a taste of the rag that she held between her teeth. She sighed.

_This would've been so much easier if I had been born a unicorn._ She thought disdainfully as she wiped off her tongue for the nth time; she had done this so many times she hardly kept track anymore.

When she had finished wiping everything down, sweeping, and dusting, she returned the cleaning supplies to their respective cupboards, dumped out the bucket into the sink, and wrung out the rag. She gently tossed the rag into the dirty towel hamper that sat tucked into the corner directly next to the stairs. She then climbed the stairs and went into each room, starting with her own, and proceeded to make each of the beds. She had developed a system to make doing this as easy as possible for her, even despite being a pegasus.

She took one corner of the sheet in her teeth and pulled it into a specific position on the corner of the bed. She repeated this with all four corners until they were in the perfect position. Then, she went to the foot of the bed and grabbed the middle of the bottom of the sheet in her teeth. She lifted the sheet as high as she could into the air and guided it back down onto the bed. If done correctly, the sheet would fall into place around the matress. She then tucked each of the corners underneath the matress to hold it in place. Then, she placed the pillows at the top of the bed, propped up ever so slightly, and followed it up by placing the blanket over-top of them. When all was said and done, the bed looked neat and tidy, the way she liked it. She had little time to admire her work, however, as she had to finish making the rest of the beds and she had less than an hour before the foals were expected to arrive back home. She hurried as fast as she could and quickly made the rest of the beds. She flew down the stairs, literally, and threw herself onto the softest chair she could find. The chairs, she noticed, became much more comfortable when she had finished her cleaning.

She didn't have long to relax, however, as just ten minutes after she sat down the door opened and the foals came rushing in. The first to lead the pack was none other than Cyrus, who was always the first one in. He was a was a young colt who was faster than most of his peers. He was a pegasus and his wings were already fairly developed, even at the age of six. His skin was a bright-red color and his mane was a darker-red color, and he had orange-yellow eyes. The next of the group was Crystal. She was a young unicorn, age five, and she had a bright-pink skin and a white-and-pink-mix mane. The mix came in wonderful stripes that ran along the length of her mane. Her eyes were a bright-purple.

The next one in was Lance. He had bright-orange skin and a short, scraggly mane that shone golden in the sunlight. He had magenta eyes and seemed to be a good friend of Celestia's. Following him was Mira. She was an intriquing filly who could always be found standing close to Luna. She had skin as black as coal and twinkling white eyes. Her mane was a mixture of silver and white. After her there was Volar. Volar could often be found in the center of the room, though he hated the attention that came with it. He often explained to Julianne that he only felt a strong desire to stand or sit in the center of the room. Any other place felt unnatural to him. His skin was a vivacious green, his mane a colorful mix of blue and yellow. His eyes were the color of the mid-day sky.

Following him were none other than Celestia and Luna, who liked to stay in the back. They were talking to each other and they both seemed to be very happy; vibrant smiles playing across their faces. It brought a smile to Julianne's face to see them so happy. The foals all went up the stairs to deposit their school supplies, and after that, an afternoon of playing in the backyard would ensue. Julianne continued to sit in her chair until the foals had each dashed out of the back door, save for one filly whom looked particularly in need of a companion.

"Is everything alright, Luna?" Julianne asked. Luna was standing in the middle of the doorway that led from the living room to the kitchen, staring out at the yard. She didn't react to Julianne's call to her, so Julianne began to get worried. She hopped out of her chair and walked over to the filly's side, wrapping one wing around her.

"Luna?" She tried again. This time, Luna looked up at Julianne with tear-filled eyes.

"Miss Julie, Celestia said Mommy and Daddy met The Light..." Luna said to her. Her voice was shaky and Julianne could tell she was on the verge of tears.

"Listen, Luna, your mommy and daddy didn't want to leave you, okay? They loved you very much, and they were very kind ponies. Unfortunately, The Light had other plans for you and your sister." Julianne said in an attempt to comfort the crying filly.

"So... they did meet The Light?" Luna asked her. Julianne nodded very slowly. Luna didn't say anything but looked at the ground. Her tears dripped down her cheeks and fell onto the floor, leaving distinct circular marks in the wood.

"Luna, everything that's happened is for the best, okay? Your mommy and daddy are still very proud of you, and they're watching you, even now. They love you, and they always will." Julianne said.

"Miss Julie," Luna said.

"Yes?"

"When I'm on the roof, at night, and I'm looking at the moon, I feel like I'm with mommy." She said. Julianne's eyes widened.

"Did Celestia tell you her thoughts of the sun and moon?" She asked. Luna shook her head.

_Incredible._ Julianne thought.

"Listen, Luna, everything's going to be fine, okay? Your mommy and daddy are looking out for you. They're not gone. I'm certain you'll see them again one day." Julianne said. Luna sniffled and looked up at her.

"R-really?" She asked. Julianne nodded. Luna managed to pull out a weak smile.

"Thank you Miss Julie," She said giving Julianne a hug.

"You're very welcome," Julianne said hugging her back. Luna released Julianne and immediately ran outside, joining Mira under the shade of a large tree. Julianne couldn't help but smile.

"They're going to amount to great things," She said to herself. Then, she went to work in preparing dinner.


End file.
